Overindulgence

We give our kids too much. We get so concerned with having a nice Christmas, or providing them with more than we had, or making sure they're happy, that we don't realize the ways that short-term, brief-burst happiness of Santa delivering everything they asked for have negative effects later in their lives.

It's our active inclination to break stuff -- 'stuff' here including moods, promises, relationships we care about and our own wellbeing and other people's, as well as material objects whose high gloss positively seems to invite a big fat scratch.

Alcohol is the one unregulated, accepted drug we have in our society, and I do believe it's being abused. But since drinking is so socially acceptable, and everyone's doing it -- including high-functioning and motivated movers and shakers -- no one's questioning it.

Humans have forgotten we are animals, and children are like dogs--either you train them or they train you. We could learn more about parenting by watching The Dog Whisperer than by reading parenting books.